Big news.  Big.  The girls’ Godmother, Auntie Amanda (pronounced Uhn-tee Uh-mun-dah by the girls, who suddenly become land rich Brits when they pronounce her name) has received her acceptance letter to nursing school.  YEEAHHH!!!  Randy is engaged and Amanda is in nursing school.  The good news just keeps rolling through our doors!

I am so happy that Amanda can now join her mother and I in the ranks of nursing.  Girl, Christmas night shift with the guy high on PCP who insists on calling you by his ex-girlfriend’s name for 12 hours awaits you.  It will pale in comparison to the Alzheimers patient who will sundown and spend your entire shift screaming down the hallway that you killed her sister.

Then one random day, when you’re just doing your job and you code an older lady you just adore, and you save her because you caught her turning south the second it happened…you’ll walk out into the hallway and her husband of 60 years will grab your hands, look deeply into your eyes and say, “THANK YOU.  Thank you so much.”  You’ll know.  You’ll know to your core that you picked the right job.  Not for a single day will you have to question the value of your contribution.  You’ll question your sanity.  You’ll question your salary.  You’ll definitely question your unit managers.  But you’ll never ask yourself, “Did I get ANYTHING done today?”

Congratulations Sister.  Nursing is the most amazing of callings.  You will be the best.